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On Monday night, Manchester United went five points clear of their cross-town rivals City in the race for the league title with a 2-0 success at Blackburn. With seven games to go, City and fellow football fans alike might be gaining the familiar old notion of inevitability that United are coming good right at the end, like they always do. If United do win it, it will be their 20th title in English football; a remarkable feat and a great advert for aspiring young footballers to ply their trade at Old Trafford; but not particularly for one current youngster.

The name Paul Pogba has donned the lips of many a Red Devils fan this season with the Frenchman representing just the latest star off the clubs production line we should all be making a song and dance about. The domineering Pogba who plays central midfield and stands at an impressive 6ft1 despite his slender 19 years has figured increasingly in recent months, amidst a refusal to end speculation surrounding his future.

Pogba is yet to sign a contract extension at Old Trafford and is increasingly irking the decisions of Sir Alex Ferguson in rewarding him with a first team berth, amid head turning interest from Juventus and the reported offer of a four-year deal worth some £20,000 a week. Whilst the Frenchman is keeping his options open, this indecisive behaviour is upsetting not only the manager who has subsequently dropped Pogba to the reserves and back again but supporters also with questions about greed reaching prevalence.

With the grass not always greener elsewhere, Ravel Morrison has found that being an ex-Manchester United player doesn’t always mean you’re given the divine right to feature somewhere else so readily, with the midfielder receiving just ten minutes in game time at West Ham following his January transfer window move. It remains whether Morrison will do a John Bostock and embark on a career shrouded in disappointment and what could’ve been or whether he can eventually play up to the reputation once billed. After all, Morrison is still young, and West Ham remains in the pressure cooker environment of a Championship promotion battle where experience counts ever so greatly.

However, in the case of Pogba, Manchester United will in the short-term be looking for a midfield successor to Paul Scholes and following Darren Fletcher’s extended break from football to deal with his ongoing ulcerative colitis, first team chances in central midfield for Pogba might not be as far away as first imaginable. It just seems as if Pogba would be walking away right at the time where he just might be on the fringes of real contention at Old Trafford.

In March, Pogba appeared three times from the dugout appearing for the longest spell against Wolves where he clocked up over half an hour on the field after replacing Michael Carrick. Comfortable in possession and sturdy with an eye for a pass, it is easy to see why Juventus have taken an interest in the France Under-19 international.

Of course, if Pogba did flee the riches of Manchester, he mightn’t be making such a big mistake as first thought. It’s hard to believe now but one Gerard Pique sat on the United bench coming on for a twenty minute cameo in a Carling Cup Third Round tie at Gresty Road, Crewe in October 2004. After departing the club as a youngster in 2008, the centre back has gone on to become one of the most critically acclaimed centre halves in the game with Barcelona. Similarly, Giuseppe Rossi fled to the bright lights of La Liga in 2007 and has gone on to strike over half a century of goals for Villarreal. Two shining examples serving as evidence that United kids can get their kicks elsewhere, but Pogba’s departure would be a risk, considering the appealing prestige and traditions of his current employers.

Only time will tell, but one thing is sure; Sir Alex Ferguson won’t be crossed more than once and Pogba will have to swiftly make his mind up just where his future lies.

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How good is Paul Pogba? Does his long-term future remain at Old Trafford? Would he be making a mistake in engineering a move to foreign shores? I want to hear your views United fans @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989

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Not since the 2003-04 season have the injury blighted duo of Jonathan Woodgate and Alan Smith lined up alongside each other in the white of Leeds United. It was that fateful season that one of the biggest clubs in English football succumbed to the relegation trapdoor, to which they have yet to return. Next season they will again try to regain their place in the top echelon of English football, a challenge that could be aided by old boys Woodgate and Smith. Both men are now without a club after they were released by Tottenham and Newcastle respectively, meaning it’s an avenue Leeds should certainly consider exploring. However, it’s one that brings as many potential negatives as positives.

When a club brings back a former player it can work one of two ways, it can generate a buzz of anticipation and excitement amongst the fans, or it can have the complete opposite effect. Woodgate and Smith were both held in very high esteem by Leeds fans while they played for the Elland Road outfit, but they both left the club at a time when it was in free fall. Their departures were inevitable, as both were highly regarded young England internationals who had to be sold to help Leeds financial situation . However, Smith’s departure left fans enraged, as he crossed the Pennines for arch rivals Manchester United no sooner had the dust settled on Leeds relegation. So would the fans welcome him back with open arms?

The main consideration that should come to the forefront with any potential signing of Woodgate and Smith should be their fitness levels. Do Leeds want to bring two players to the club who could feasibly spend most of the season in the treatment room? Jonathan Woodgate in particular has spent large parts of his career battling numerous injuries which have ruined what had the potential to be a hugely successful career. Woodgate only made one appearance for Spurs last season, in the game with Milan at the San Siro. Smith didn’t fair much better either, he only made eleven appearances for the Magpies.

Then we come to the next dilemma in signing the two former stars, their wages. Both may have suffered with injuries throughout their careers, but they haven’t suffered financially, they have both been involved in big money moves which have seen their bank balances well looked after. They would both be well aware they would need to take a pay cut to sign for Leeds, but they would still command considerably higher wages than their team mates. The prospect of paying top wages to players who could find themselves spending more time in the treatment room than on the pitch should be a major consideration for Leeds to take on board.

However, if they managed to stay fit for the majority of the season Leeds would be enhancing their aspirations for a promotion push with two quality players, who would bring a wealth of experience to the side. Having two Premiership calibre players in their ranks would not only significantly increase Leeds promotions credentials, but it would send out a statement of intent. Woodgate and Smith experienced what were possibly some of the greatest moments of their careers playing for Leeds, notably the memorable Champions League campaign in the 2000-01 season. Such times are a long gone now, but the two men could be the catalysts in the next memorable chapter in Leeds United’s history – the season Leeds get back to the Premier League.

It would certainly be a risk for Leeds to bring Smith and Woodgate back to the club, but is it a risk worth taking?  What would the fans reaction to Smith be like? Would his move to Man United be water under the bridge, or do some fans still harbour resentment towards him? Do Woodgate’s persistent injury problems make any move for him foolish, or could he reignite his career and Leeds hopes of promotion with a move back to Elland Road? These are all questions Leeds fans need to ask themselves.

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Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has praised Spurs boss Harry Redknapp for keeping things simple.

The 27-year-old has made a flying start to his White Hart Lane career, scoring seven times in 12 appearances, having decided to leave Real Madrid to kick-start his career.

Van der Vaart told The Sun:"Harry is a very special man, that's why I already feel at home at Spurs. It feels like I'm back on the street.

"There are no long and boring speeches about tactics, like I was used to at Real Madrid.

"There is a clipboard in our dressing room, but Harry doesn't write anything on it. It's not that we do nothing – but it's close to that."

Meanwhile, Spurs have been boosted by the news that England striker Jermain Defoe has returned to full training well ahead of schedule.

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The 28-year-old has been sidelined since late August after suffering ankle ligament damage during the European Championship qualifier against Switzerland and had initially been thought to be facing a three-month absence.

However, he may yet be ready to feature as a substitute in this weekend's North London derby against Arsenal.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Funny isn’t it; football speculation. Score in back to back games, a few influential commentators start eavesdropping on old stats, new attributes are uncovered and more chins start wagging. This has been the recent fate of Fulham’s Clint Dempsey but in spite of the Texan’s recent form, he has steadily been doing this for years down by the river at the Cottage. It is only now, that more people are recognising the true qualities the United States International brings to the table. Naturally, managers catch wind and the West London club are likely to receive a few official approaches in the summer but there was no such gamble in January or in seasons past; if the signing of Dempsey were to be a gamble anyway.

If you trace your eyes through the rosters of football teams worldwide, you are hard pressed to find American’s cutting it at the top end of the respective divisions. American goalkeepers have seemingly embraced the so-called ‘bigger clubs’ more greatly than the outfield with Brad Friedel currently being employed at Tottenham and Tim Howard having a four year spell at Manchester United. However, national team hero Landon Donovan has opted to remain at LA Galaxy with a few fleeting appearances on loan at Everton and a big club in Bayern Munich who eventually declined extending his loan after the striker failed to register in six league games.

Moreover, the much-coveted pair of Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu; deemed the national team future, tried and failed to cut their teeth at bigger European clubs with spells at Villarreal and Benfica going horribly wrong and loan spells to places they would have never heard of such as Hull and Rizespor proving their dim reality. Adu even had a trial with Manchester United before the 2006 season but a failed work permit and a few issues again represented the door being slammed shut in the face once more of the Stars and Stripes young hopefuls.

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So why are American talents being overlooked by top clubs? It is a tired old stereotype nowadays that the States don’t take an interest in soccer with the MLS forging a greater reputation year on year, the national team being managed by Jurgen Klinsmann and the team remaining in the top 30 ranked FIFA nations. With a talent pool of whopping proportions also given the country’s size, you would think the bigger sides would have tapped into more American talent.

Arsene Wenger may have been representative of a changing attitude in getting Brek Shea over on trial for Arsenal in January but there was still the overriding notion that this spell was simply to do with so-called experience and that alone. Of the few Statesiders we have seen at mid-table Premier League clubs we have recognised tremendous work rate, energy and patriotism to the cause as characteristic to their native roots. Clint Dempsey, Stuart Holden, Brian McBride and DaMarcus Beasley have all been steady pros and have shone in their respective clubs but have failed to achieve any more than this in English football. Dempsey; the highest American scorer and highest Fulham goal scorer in any of their Premier League seasons might just be the first to earn a big move after recently striking his 16th goal of the season but bigger clubs have sometimes plumped for talent from the United States old international rival in Mexico with Carlos Vela and Javier Hernandez infiltrating English football’s elite more quickly than their neighbours to the north.

Perhaps it is just a mere coincidence that Americans are readily adopted by middle-of-the-road clubs but the fact that any club has to go through the complicated application for a work permit for a United States player doesn’t explain their top-heavy presence away from the elite level. Of course stereotypes run deep and because no such American player has established himself thus far at a big club such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona, Milan or Madrid, this may have a big say in elite managers’ sub conscious decisions in still overlooking the pioneering prospect of grooming the next American superstar. Perhaps the few failed examples at bigger clubs in Howard, Altidore, Adu, Spector and Donovan have been powerful in harming the chances of future stars in the eyes of the modern talent scout.

Nevertheless, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United toured the States last summer and you’d imagine there must be more to these trips than simply expanding their respective brands worldwide. With scouting teams and systems growing season-on-season, then surely the next decade will mark the start of a golden generation for the United States and their presence of players at top clubs and not solely lower down the divisions or comfortably down home in the MLS.

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Why do you think American footballers have failed to infiltrate the so-called elite clubs? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989

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Picture the scene. Liverpool, mounting a realistic Premier League title challenge for the first time in six years, are playing host to Fulham at Anfield, knowing that a win could take them two points clear of league leaders Chelsea. The Reds face the Cottagers well aware of the visitors’ travel-sickness, with Roy Hodgson’s side having picked up just two points in six away games.

Unfortunately the early morning optimism dissipates, and the afternoon proves to be a frustrating one for the Anfield faithful. Despite Fernando Torres’ return to the starting line-up, a resolute Fulham hold Liverpool to a draw and cost the Reds two crucial points.

Lucas Leiva, curiously selected to deputise for the absent Steven Gerrard, is booed by a small section of the Anfield crowd and made a scapegoat for the side’s impotency. The 21-year-old, who has endured a tough time in L4 since arriving in the summer of 2007, has struggled to make an impact and frequently finds himself behind fan favourites Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano in the midfield pecking order.

Fast forward to the penultimate week of May 2011 and neither Alonso nor Mascherano sports the Liver bird on their chest any more. Both components of this once-feared midfield-axis have moved on to pastures new; Alonso to Real Madrid, and Mascherano to Barcelona. Meanwhile, Lucas, once a perennially mocked and derided figure, has been named the Standard Chartered Fans player of the year after tallying 40 per cent of the 129,774 votes cast.

Speaking about the award to the club’s official website, he said: “I wouldn’t have expected this (in my first season). The way I started my career at Liverpool wasn’t the easiest, but as I have said before, I wouldn’t change anything.

“The difficult times just made me stronger and stronger and I tried to improve all the time. That’s what I am doing now.”

The issuing of the award caps a fairytale-esque turnaround for Liverpool’s number 21. No longer a byword for mediocrity, the reliable Brazilian has worked hard to establish himself as a key player in Liverpool’s starting XI.

The former Gremio man, effectively tasked with replacing Mascherano and Alonso, has incorporated elements of both of his former team-mates’ games into his own.

Hesitation and caution have been replaced by calmness and incision. Lucas is seldom dispossessed and his passes are no longer solely to the back and to the side. Witness for example, his exquisite through ball to Luis Suarez in the first minute of Liverpool’s recent 5-2 triumph away at Fulham.

Although not as explosive as Mascherano, Lucas has excelled at breaking up opposition play in the middle of the park. He thrived in key home wins against Manchester United and Chelsea, successfully thwarting more distinguished central midfielders. The Brazilian finished 2010/11 with more tackles (172) than any player, whilst attaining a respectable tackle success rate of 65%.

His ascension from frustrating fringe player to first-team regular owes a great deal to the faith of former manager Rafael Benitez.

Speaking in December 2008, Benitez said: “”People just don’t know how good Lucas is. He is a fantastic player, he was captain of his club side at 19 and has already won full caps with Brazil.”

Shorn of Alonso and the Spaniard’s replacement Alberto Aquilani, Benitez placed greater responsibility upon the 24-year-old in 2009/10, and his faith was rewarded with much more assured displays. Lucas featured 35 times for the club in the Premier League that season, and his progress led to him being voted the club’s Young Player of the Season.

After Benitez’s departure, many envisaged an Anfield exit for the Brazilian, but he stayed at Liverpool and continued his good form into the new season. He maintained his first-team berth under Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish, and his consistency culminated in a new long-term contract.

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Moving to play football in a different continent at a young age is a difficult transition to make at the best of times, but this is made even harder when one’s displays are constantly criticised. Instead of moaning or pining for a move away, the boy from Dourados knuckled down and worked hard to become a player worthy of the red shirt.

In this era of quick-fix fickleness, it’s nice to see how far a little hard work, faith and support can go.

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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After a scintillating, if somewhat unexpected, start to the season, West Bromwich Albion find themselves in 6th place after 10 games, and had things have gone a little differently at Bloomfield Road on Monday night, the Baggies could have found themselves occupying a Champions League position. Having already played Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in their opening fixtures, with notable results at The Emirates and Old Trafford, this is not a case of an easy run of fixtures translating into an artificially high league position. But having seen the likes of Hull City and Burnley go into freefall after good starts, are West Brom about to make a rapid descent towards the relegation zone?

In the 2009-10 season Burnley occupied 11th spot after 10 games and surprised everyone by overcoming Manchester United at Turf Moor with a solitary Robbie Blake goal, before struggling to make an impression later in the season, culminating in the Clarets’ relegation back to the Championship. Having accumulated 12 points in the opening 10 games, Burnley then collected just 18 points from their remaining 28 fixtures, contrasting starkly with their early season form.

Another comparison comes in the shape of Hull City. In the 2008-09, Hull were in 5th place after 10 games, and, like West Brom, produced a remarkable result at The Emirates, with a Daniel Cousin goal proving to be the winner. Subsequent to this though, Hull went the rest of the season only winning two more games and finished only one point off relegation. But is this going to be the case for the Baggies?

Hull City player during the 2008-09 season and West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill certainly doesn’t think so, with comparisons inevitable, but misguided. Speaking to the Sunday Mercury Myhill stated;

‘I don’t see any similarities… It’s a different club, different manager, different styles – the only thing we have in common was winning at Arsenal’

Myhill certainly has a point. On the pitch Hull and West Brom lack similarities, with the Baggies far more organised and relying far less on the set-pieces that proliferated the East Yorkshire side’s rise up the Premier League table. Off the pitch things are certainly different too. West Brom are no strangers to the Premier League, and know what it takes to survive having been the only side bottom at Christmas to have eventually lived to tell the tale in the Premier League the next season. Compare that with Hull, who had never previously been in the top division of the English league.

West Brom also seem to have found a nice balance in their squad, with new striker Peter Odemwingie, settling in very nicely after his move from Lokomotiv Moscow, scoring 3 goals in 6 games for the Baggies. What is also nice to see is a side all moving together in the same direction, with players, fans and board supporting Roberto Di Matteo and his footballing ideals. But as Phil Brown will tell you, that can all change very quickly.

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The comparisons with Hull are, as Boaz Myhill correctly asserted, incidental, and the differences between the two clubs far outweigh the similarities. So although I highly doubt West Brom will finish in their current elevated position, there is no cause for concern that Championship football could be on offer at The Hawthorns during the 2011-12 season.

If you liked this and would like to read more, why not check out my blogs, or follow me on Twitter.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is under investigation from Uefa, after he criticised the referee following the club’s European exit on Tuesday night.

Goals from Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky and Robin van Persie meant that the Gunners beat AC Milan 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium, but were still eliminated due to a 4-0 first leg away defeat.

The French coach was unhappy with the constant award of free kicks for small misdemeanours by Slovenian official Damir Skomina, and he made his displeasure known after the game.

“I was not happy with the referee tonight because I felt he gave many free-kicks in the middle of the park,” he told Sky Sports at the time.

“Every time they went down a free-kick was given for them, and they sensed that very quickly and they used it very well.”

Uefa have confirmed that Wenger is now facing further action, and that they will look at Skomina’s match report to decide if sanctions should be taken against the Arsenal boss.

“A disciplinary case has been opened for improper conduct,” a spokesperson confirmed.

If Wenger is found guilty it will be the third ban he has received from Uefa in the last year.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer believes he has done nothing wrong in revealing he will not be renewing his contract with the club.Neuer has made it clear he will not extend his contract with Schalke when it expires in June 2012, fuelling speculation of a move to with fellow Bundesliga club Bayern Munich or English giants Manchester United.

But the 25-year-old disagreed with Schalke fans who believe he has let the club down.

“I have betrayed no-one. All I have done is tell Schalke that I will not be renewing my contract in 2012. I have not lied or broken a promise,” he said.

“I would never do that because I love Schalke. I have always given everything for this club. This club is a piece of home for me and will remain so for sure.”

“I know there are some that have now chosen to label me as a Judas, others accept my decision and respect it at least.”

Neuer was born in Gelsekirchen and has played all hisfootball with Schalke after coming up through the club’s academy.

He is now hoping to go out with a German Cup winners’ medal as Schalke clash with 2.Bundesliga outfit Duisburg in the final on Saturday.

“We are of course favourites and we want to be celebrating at the end of the game,” he said.

“It would be my first title as a professional with Schalke and something I would never forget for the rest of my life. Our goal is that we win the cup for us and the fans.”

Schalke narrowly avoided relegation with a 14th-placed finish in the league, but progressed to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals before losing to Manchester United.

The battle for the future ownership of Liverpool has taken a fresh twist, with current co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks gaining a temporary restraining order to block the sale of the club.

Gillett and Hicks took action in a Texas District Court after the High Court in London had earlier dismissed their attempts to prevent a takeover by New England Sports Ventures.

Law firm Fish & Richardson, acting for Gillett and Hicks are seeking damages of $1.6billion, alleging that the duo have been the victims of an 'epic swindle' and a 'grand conspiracy'.

A statement from Fish & Richardson continued:"The director defendants were acting merely as pawns of RBS, wholly abdicating the fiduciary responsibilities that they owed in the sale.

"RBS has been complicit in this scheme with the director defendants. For example, in letters from RBS to potential investors obtained just within the past few days, RBS has informed investors that it will approve of a deal only if there is 'no economic return to equity' for Messrs. Hicks and Gillett.

"In furtherance of this grand conspiracy, on information and belief, RBS has improperly used its influence as the club's creditor and as a worldwide banking leader to prevent any transaction that would permit Messrs. Hicks and Gillett to recover any of their initial investment in the club, much less share in the substantial appreciation in the value of Liverpool FC that their investments have created."

A statement from Liverpool's current board responded:"Following the successful conclusion of High Court proceedings, the boards of directors of Kop Football and Kop Holdings met tonight and resolved to complete the sale of Liverpool FC to New England Sports Ventures.

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"Regrettably, Thomas Hicks and George Gillett have obtained a Temporary Restraining Order from a Texas District Court against the independent directors, Royal Bank of Scotland PLC and NESV to prevent the transaction being completed.

"The independent directors consider the restraining order to be unwarranted and damaging and will move as swiftly as possible to seek to have it removed."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

The Stuart Pearce years at Manchester City are not cherished by many fans. With his hands tied, Pearce had a difficult job keeping City in the Premier League, a job he succeeded in. But boy was it dull. I remember sitting in the North Stand one blustery afternoon, trying to remember the last time I had witnessed a goal down that end of the stadium – it had been a couple of months.

But amongst the dour football, Pearce did do one thing for which City fans should always be grateful. In May 2006, he signed Shrewsbury Town’s goalkeeper Joe Hart, for a modest £600,000. The rest, as they say, is history.

Hart is proof that the talent is there in the lower leagues, talent that can be developed to the highest level, and the price doesn’t always have to be exorbitant because of the premium put on English players.

I would speculate that any manager of an English football team would prefer to have a team full of Englishmen. That’s not xenophobia at work, just an acceptance that English players are more likely to adapt, understand the mentality, and not flit off abroad. There are also no limits on Englishmen in the squad either of course. And they are more valuable assets if they move on simply because of their nationality. So there is a logic in buying English.

But it is understandable why managers look elsewhere, when value is so hard to find.

Take Spain for example, where players are not permitted to sign professional contracts until their 18th birthday – a rule Arsenal first took advantage of in 2003 by signing Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona when he was 16.

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell branded Arsenal’s acquisition of Toral Harper as “legal but immoral”. It’s little wonder managers often look abroad – it’s cheaper, but also it is where their expertise lies for many – Arsene Wenger knows France, and has his contacts there. Mancini probably has strong knowledge and contacts in Italy. Villas-Boas likewise in Portugal. When so few successful managers in England are actually English, it’s little surprise that contacts are used to plunder foreign players.

However, recent rule changes back here in England may change the outlook of many big clubs. After England’s poor showing at the 2010 World Cup Alex Horne, the FA’s general secretary, was tasked with looking into why the nation has failed, despite the unrivalled success of the Premier League, to reliably produce players of international quality. In January he announced 25 proposals to improve the prospects of the national side, a list designed to tally with the Premier League’s own plan, which was unveiled the following month.

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The Elite Player Performance Plan, which was voted on by the 72 League clubs, included a rule-change whereby players living more than 90 minutes’ travelling time away would be lifted. So clubs would be free to set up boarding schools for the best young talent they could find, regardless of where they came from.

Not surprisingly, this favours the big clubs, who now may look more to young football league talent, not because it always made sense and they have suddenly seen the light, but because the rule shave changed to make this easier and cheaper for them to do so. Though the EPPP will affect every league club, it was drawn up by members and employees of the Premier League. Add to this the proposed scrapping of the football tribunal, which would see initial fees significantly reduced, compared with those agreed under the existing system. Add-ons for future career success could help negate this though. The plan was voted through, not surprising as the Premier League withheld money until they accepted.

Predictably, the plans created much fury in the football league, with some teams claiming they would give up on developing youth as there was no point as any talented players would be poached at a young age, so they would be wasting money they didn‘t have. This threat could lead to Premier League teams returning abroad again to find young talent.

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But whilst you could argue it is unfair for Premier League teams to poach lower league players, it is not all bad – teams with a good youth set-up rely on such a process, like Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace for example. Selling on the products of a fruitful academy is a means of surviving. Joe Hart may have been a steal at £600,000, but that’s still a lot of money for the likes of Shrewsbury. With add-ons linked to career success, there are further rewards for them as he progresses, which will more than double that original fee. The rules also allow more time to train youngsters each day, meaning teams will still invest in academies and youth, as a means of success and of survival.

The talent is there for Premier League teams to find talent in the lower leagues, mostly amongst youngsters, and throughout the years the smaller teams have always had players taken off them at a young age, having done the ground-work and the initial talent-spotting. New rules will only exacerbate this, but the reason many look abroad instead is not only cost, but the technical skills that many think to be lacking in English youngsters. For the big teams to look closer to home, the arguments put forward by so many in recent years have to be fully implemented to make English players more appealing – no more children playing on full pitches, no more emphasis on power and size over natural skill, and a proper compensation scheme to make it worthwhile for the smaller teams to continue to develop youngsters. Only then can we have a system in England where young English talent flourishes, and a system that benefits all sides. But as Joe Hart shows, time is needed for these players to develop – the culture of modern football for instant results and quick success only hinders further the development of our young players.

Howard has written a fictional book, available for very little on Kindle. Give it a go here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Stakes-ebook/dp/B004LDM51O

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